The Murder of 1920
by foxxer1999
Summary: Romance, Drama, Suspense, MURDER! Set in the 1920s on a train leaving India, a detective has twelve hours to deduce the murderer from ten suspects! Will it be the usual suspect or the one that no one expects? Read on to find out! Enjoy!
1. Prelude

**A/N: Welcome to my NEWEST project! I was asked by a friend of mine to write a Murder Mystery set in the 1920s. The characters are themed around real friends of mine, and I could NOT turn it down! Most of the plot is my idea, but some of my friend's ideas are in it as well. I'll leave that to you to find out what's what. Until then, Enjoy!**

Twelve Hours

December 22nd, 1920

I hate India, the people are terrible, and the hotels are small, and everywhere I go it smells like Curry. The only good thing here is the freaking alcohol, and the only thing I have been looking forward to is the ride back to the airport, so I can go back home to England.

I had finally gotten to the front of the line, when I was nudged ahead by the man standing behind me.

I turned to face the culprit, and it turned out to be a man who was wearing a black suit with a gray vest, tie, and fedora to match.

"Sorry about that sir." The man said, tipping his hat.

"That's quite alright." I replied nonchalantly, proceeding onto the train.

I found myself a seat in the first class seating area, where there were plenty of people to go around. One that caught my attention was the bartender. A middle aged man, talking up a storm with another gentleman.

I walked over, and asked for a drink.

"What can I get you sir?"

"Make me the best drink you can make."

"You got it." The bartender pulls out a bottle of whiskey, and pours me a glass. I look at him crazily.

"Take the glass, and leave the bottle." I nod, and take the shot.

"There enough for one more?" I turn to face the man who bumped me.

"Oh, yes, of course." I signal the bartender to get him a glass. He does, and even pours it.

"Thanks. Again, I'm sorry for bumping you earlier, the name's Anthony."

"Anthony, like, the guy who inherited all his family fortune?"

"Yep…"

"What's a rich kid like you doing in India?"

"Just, seeing what's out here, not really liking it."

"Hmph, well, I was here visiting family, I'm from England."

"No shit, me too!"

"I'm surprised we haven't crossed paths before."

"I don't know, you look kind of familiar, do we know each other?"

"Um…" I became distracted by a figure sitting in the corner, wearing an all black schoolgirl dress, with a vest over it. She had very short hair though, so if you didn't see the dress, you'd assume she was a boy.

"Who is that?" I direct Anthony's attention to the figure.

"Her, I don't know, but if I had to guess, I'd say she's a runaway, going on maybe, a few months…" Anthony shrugs. "I've seen her on a couple of other train rides."

"Hmm, interesting…" I turn my attention behind me, and stare in awe at the next site.

Another woman, wearing a poofed out ruffled red dress, is sitting casually in the first class, and she looks so familiar.

"Now, that, is Lilac. She's one of the best pro golfers in the world."

"She golfs?"

"Yeah…" Anthony pulls out a magazine, and hands it to me. Sure enough, the woman sitting across from me looks just like her. "Go get her tiger." Suddenly I'm sent flying towards her.

I stop myself just an inch away from her lips, and immediately pull back.

"I'm so sorry miss."

"That's quite alright sir…" She stands up, and wipes down her dress, flattening it out.

"My friend over there, kind of…"

"Yeah, I saw…"

"Right…" I cleared my throat, trying to hide my face, as I felt a bit red.

"I'm Lilac, I represent the U.S."

"Didn't they just play a tournament here?"

"Yes, I placed in the top five."

"Impressive." I tipped my hat to her.

"Thank you. Well, I'll see you around, I'm going to go catch a smoke." She pulls out a fancy long cigarette, before heading to the section between the train cars.

I turn to see a slightly larger man talking with the conductor.

"What do you mean I can't ride in first class?"

"Sir, that is a third class ticket, therefore I have to ask you to go back there."

"There's no one else on this train! How can you not have room for one more!?"

"Sir…"

"Excuse me, but I couldn't help but overhear." I step in. "Lemme see your ticket sir." He hands it to me, and sure enough, it is a third class ticket. "Alright, I'm willing to pay for him to be up here, just name your price."

"No sir, you don't have to- "I turn my head to him and he goes quiet.

"Alright, pay up before we get off." The conductor turns to leave. "We depart in five minutes." He says, checking his pocketwatch, before leaving the car.

I sighed, and turned around, knocking a book out of a man's hand.

"Excuse yourself sir." The man picks up the book.

He is a slim man, wearing glasses, and all white.

"I know you. You're Professor Birch, I must say, I admire your work." I say.

"Well, it's nice to be recognized." The Professor says.

Before we can continue to talk, the train whistle blows, and everyone goes quiet, as the train begins to move.

Lilac comes back in, and takes a seat. She looks over to me, and waves over the seat, wanting me to sit with her. I smile slightly and go to sit.

Anthony is sitting across from me, and he keeps looking at the nun, Anne. He hides a smile, and looks like he's blushing. I nod to him, and end up drifting off to sleep…

 **A/N: I was honored to be allowed by a friend of mine to write this story for him. I hope he and all of you that actually read it like it as much as I liked writing it. I will see you next time!**


	2. Eleven Hours

Eleven Hours

I wake up to a sudden jerk. I look around to see everyone standing up, looking at me.

"What's going on?"

"We were hoping you'd know…" Anthony said.

"I passed out… sorry, I'm a detective." I say.

"Oh, well, nice to meet you, officially." A new man says.

"I can't say I've met you though…" I say.

The man looks like a hunter who just went and fought a tiger, demolishing the tiger.

"Oh, I'm Grant." The man said. I nodded to him.

"Why have we stopped?"

"We don't know, we're going to go check the front, but wanted you to be awake." Anthony says.

"Well, let's go." I pull out a small Colt pocket. I lead Anthony, Grant, and the man I offered to pay a ticket for.

We stand in a line near the front of the train, and I knock on the door.

"Sir, are you in there?" I ask.

I slowly grab the door handle, and push the door.

The front window is broken, like someone flew through it. I go in first, and look out the window.

I see the body first. It is the conductor. I can tell by the hat he was wearing.

"Oh god…" Anthony says.

"Everyone keep calm, I'm going to get to the bottom of this." I say, leaving the front car.

X.x.x

Everyone is gathered in the first class seating area, including two new people, both older, and one wearing a WWI jacket.

"I don't mean to push for introductions, but we have two new people here, could you introduce yourselves please?"

"Of course, I'm Belle." The older lady says.

"General J.H." The man salutes, and I salute back.

"An honor to face you sir." I say.

Anthony is pacing eagerly back and forth.

"Stop it." A voice says. Anthony turns to see the source is the Tomboy.

"What do you mean? We just found a dead conductor in front of the train. We have NO way to contact anyone, and possibly a killer amongst us!"

"That might not be true…" The ticket man says.

"Who are you anyways?"

"I am Gabe Smith, I work in the Oil industry." He says.

"That's all fine and good, but weren't you supposed to be sitting in third class?" Anthony asks.

"Yes, but I offered to pay for a first class when we got to my stop." I say.

"That doesn't matter, isn't that something you would call motive?" Anthony questions.

"I didn't kill anybody, you know that!" Gabe snaps.

"Woah, both of you chill out! Alright, it's obvious we have a killer amongst us, and I'm already going to say it wasn't me, as I was asleep, and I'm the one investigating here." I say. Everyone looks at me.

"We should split up, groups of two. Anthony you go with Grant. Anne, you go with Lilac. Belle, you go with J.H. Professor Birch, you go with Martin. I'll stay here and make sure nothing happens."

"What about me?" I turn to see the Tomboy standing there.

"Well, first, tell me your name…"

"Harley…" She says under her breath.

"Harley, you can stay and help me, okay?"

"Alright…" She walks away, and sits in a booth.

"Let's move it people!"

Everyone goes their separate ways.

 **A/N SUSPENSE! SEE YOU ALL NEXT TIME!**


	3. Ten Hours

**A/N: The Group is Split! Enjoy!**

Ten Hours

I was pacing back and forth, wishing there was a way for me to contact someone, but we were all stranded until something was figured out.

"Can't we just, get the train moving?" Harley asked.

"No, that would be tampering with a crime scene." I answered.

"Oh, right…" She nervously started biting her nails, which looked like they hadn't been cut in weeks.

"Is there something you're not telling me?" She stopped suddenly.

"No…" She nervously says.

Before I can go any further, I hear the train car open, and Anthony walks back in, alone…

"Where's Grant?"

"He told me he saw something and went to look."

"Son of a bitch." I push past him and go towards the back of the train, where I assumed they had been.

I open the back car to a rifle pointing at my face.

"Woah, put the gun down…" I see the gun go down, but it is to dark to tell who it is right away.

"Sorry detective." It's Grant's voice. "Just, heard something back here, thought I'd investigate."

"Well, you could have ran it by me first."

"All do respect, I know my rights, and I told Anthony to go tell you that."

"Got me in trouble is what you did you prick!" Anthony says a bit loud.

"HEY- "Before I can finish, I hear the sound of bars rattling. Harley walks past me, and goes in first.

"Harley, wait…" She gently pushes me back, and reaches for a light switch, as the car is windowless. The light comes on, and we are all startled by a loud rattling. Harley turns, and stares in awe.

It is a monkey, rattling the cage.

Grant pulls his rifle on it.

"HEY!" Harley screams.

"What? I'm a hunter!" Grant says.

"NO! You will NOT kill this monkey!" She shoves him hard, and turns back to it.

"Says who!?" Grant starts to get back up, but Anthony shoves him into some boxes.

"Says me, now, leave it alone." Anthony says rather viciously. Grant hesitantly sighs, and puts down the rifle, before getting up.

As Harley reaches to let the monkey out, a scream is heard!

I turn and sprint out of the cab, and open the first class seating.

Belle is there.

"What happened Belle?" I ask, as everyone gathers behind me.

"I, I don't know… Martin, he…" She points towards the bar, and I slowly walk around it.

Martin is lying face first, a glass shattered in front of him, with a puddle of liquid spread out in front of him.

"Damn it…" I whisper. I look up.

"What's wrong?" Anthony asks.

"Martin, he's been poisoned, and… he's dead…" Everyone looks in disbelief.

"Belle? What happened?" I ask.

"I, don't remember, I came back here, he was making a drink, and the next thing I remember, is hearing the glass shatter, and, he just, collapsed." I check Martin's pulse, praying for something.

"He's barely breathing, we have to get him out of here."

"How? We can't move the train, isn't that what you said!?" Grant says.

"We have a man dying! That's out the window now!" Anthony screams back.

"Look, you are getting on my nerves! Keep your mouth shut!" Grant shoves Anthony, but Anne stands in the middle of them.

"That's enough!" She says. She turns to Anthony, and helps him up.

"Does anyone know how to drive a train?" I ask.

"I do." Gabe says.

"Alright, someone have gloves?"

"I have a pair of golf gloves, in my bag." Lilac says.

"Good, I'm going to need those, and does anyone have an oversized bag?"

"For what?" Grant asks.

"We're going to maintain the body, for later."

"I'll get my rifle bag." Grant leaves.

"Someone go with him." I say.

Lilac follows him to the back to get her bag.

Anne is sitting next to Anthony, making sure he is okay, and I am gently pulling Martin's body out from behind the bar, when I see something. I don't want to touch potential evidence, so I leave it be.

"Make sure NOBODY touches this body!" I shout before going towards the back.

 **A/N: WHO POISONED MARTIN!? SEE YOU ALL NEXT TIME!**


End file.
